The Conversation

Hurricane Helene power outages leave over 4 million in the dark – history shows poorer areas often wait longest for electricity to be restored

Written by Chuanyi Ji, Associate Professor of Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Strong winds from Hurricane Helene, one of the most powerful storms to hit the Southeast, flooded roads and cut power in multiple states.AP Photo/Mike Carlson

Hurricane Helene left more than 4 million homes and businesses in the dark across Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas after hitting Florida’s Big Bend region as a powerful Category 4...

Hurricane Helene power outages leave millions in the dark – history shows poorer areas often wait longest for electricity to be restored

Written by Chuanyi Ji, Associate Professor of Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Strong winds from Hurricane Helene, one of the most powerful storms to hit the Southeast, flooded roads and cut power in multiple states.AP Photo/Mike Carlson

Hurricane Helene cut power to more than 4 million homes and businesses as it moved across the Southeast after hitting Florida’s Big Bend region as a powerful Category 4 storm on Sept....

Autoworkers, Boeing machinists, cannabis drivers: Labor unions are mobilizing in new and old industries alike

Written by Robert Forrant, Professor of U.S. History and Labor Studies, UMass Lowell

Members and supporters of an International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union district local convene in Seattle on July 17, 2024.Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images

What do violinists, grocery store clerks, college dorm counselors, nurses, teachers, hotel housekeepers, dockworkers, TV writers, autoworkers, Amazon warehouse workers...

Rising electricity demand could bring Three Mile Island and other prematurely shuttered nuclear plants back to life

Written by Todd Allen, Professor of Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan

Steam billows from two cooling towers serving Unit 1 of the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in 2005.AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

Constellation, an energy company that provides electricity and natural gas to customers in 16 states and Washington, announced on Sept. 20, 2024, that it plans to restore and restart Unit 1 at Three Mile Island, a nuclear...

Prepare your social media for the election − 3 tips to stay sane and connected without being overwhelmed

Written by Chelsea Butkowski, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies, American University School of Communication

There's a lot of information out there to sort through, so be prepared.Richard Drury/DigitalVision via Getty Images

As the presidential election approaches, the race is ramping up – including on social media. Although Meta reported in 2022 that only about 3% of the content on Facebook is political, Americans have already begun bracing...

Police stop more Black drivers, while speed cameras issue unbiased tickets − new study from Chicago

Written by Wenfei Xu, Assistant Professor, Cornell University

Traffic stops are meant to make the streets safer, but police interactions with Black drivers can escalate quickly.deepblue4you via Getty

Traffic stops by Chicago police have more than doubled over the past nine years in what the American Civil Liberties Union, a civil rights group, is calling the “new stop-and-frisk.”

Stop and frisk is...

Why some flowers are so pleasing for Hindu gods and goddesses

Written by Robert J. Stephens, Principal Lecturer in Religion, Clemson University

Hindu devotees offer flowers to gods and goddesses as part of worship rituals.Dinodia Photo/Corbis Documentary via Getty images

In preparation for the many Hindu fall festivals such as Diwali, Dussehra or Durga Puja, worshipers all over the world will purchase flowers for use in ritual worship in temples, outdoor ceremonies or altars at home.

Throu...

Teachers feel most productive when they use AI for teaching strategies

Written by Samantha Keppler, Assistant Professor of Technology and Operations, Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan

Saving time is not a given for teachers who rely on artificial intelligence.skynesher/E+ via Getty Images

Teachers can use generative AI in a variety of ways. They may use it to develop lesson plans and quizzes. Or teachers may rely on a generative AI tool, such as ChatGPT, for insight on how to teach a concept more effectively.

In our new research,...

CubeSats, the tiniest of satellites, are changing the way we explore the solar system

Written by Mustafa Aksoy, Assistant Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University at Albany, State University of New York

Most CubeSats weigh less than a bowling ball, and some are small enough to hold in your hand. But the impact these instruments are having on space exploration is gigantic. CubeSats – miniature, agile and cheap satellites – are revolutionizing how scientists study the cosmos.

A standard-size CubeSat is tiny, about 4 pounds (roughly 2...

Afrofuturism thrives in Philly − 5 artists you should know

Written by Aaron X. Smith, Assistant Professor of Africology and African American Studies, Temple University

'A Radiant Light,' by Philly-based Afrofuturist artist Mikel Elam, celebrates cultural roots and the infinite possibilities of the future. Mikel Elam, CC BY-NC-SA

From the creation of the Liberty Bell in the 1750s to the world-famous Philadelphia Sound soul music of the 1960s and ’70s, artistic innovation has long been a staple in Philly...